


Gastronomica

by Butterfly_girl



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Post-World of Ruin, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 04:55:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15942215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterfly_girl/pseuds/Butterfly_girl
Summary: Ignis doesn't exactly like his job but it's all he has left.  When it unexpectedly leads him back to someone he thought he'd left in the past, he struggles to deal with everything that's happened.





	Gastronomica

**Author's Note:**

> I said I wasn't going to start anything new but I couldn't help myself!
> 
> Rating is for later chapters.

“I like the idea very much. It’s an imaginative use of flavours and textures. Does it work?” Ignis hesitated as he pushed a little more of the concoction onto his fork, giving it a quick sniff before sliding it inside his mouth and letting his tastebuds do the rest of the work. “Not quite… but it’s well on its way.”

_I’d have made it better. I’d have got the balance of sweet and sour just right. I’d have used monkfish rather than sea bream to give a softer flavour. I’d have used just a little bit more seasoning to bring out the saltiness of the rice…_

He closed his eyes, trying to push back the criticisms that swam round and round in his head, filling every nook and crevice until they’d pushed every other thought aside, making them meaningless, nonsensical blurs that he couldn’t recall no matter how hard he tried. He’d been doing this for years now- reviewing restaurants, tasting their dishes, giving his opinion- but it didn’t seem to get any easier. His first thoughts upon tasting a dish were always on what he would have done better, how he could have taken it from mediocrity to excellence. 

It was pointless to think that way- he knew that. He’d never have his own restaurant. He’d never be the one creating these new dishes, standing there nervously while someone took their first taste, watching their face light up as the flavours mingled on their tongues. His dream was now no more than a distant memory, yet here he was with the power to help someone else fulfil theirs with words of praise… or in instant, though he hated this part of the job, cause it to burst into flames and disappear into a pile of ashes like his own had all those years ago.

To say he’d been reluctant to take on the job was putting it lightly. When Iris had first come up with the idea to set up the website, Ignis had tried to keep his distance, excusing himself whenever her plans came up in conversation, ignoring the not-so-subtle glances Gladio shot in his direction the moment Iris started talking about getting a food critic on board. But she’d cornered him eventually, child-like innocence replaced with the same grit and determination he’d always seen within Gladio.

“It’s what the people of Lucis need, Iggy,” she’d said, her voice full of excitement as she recounted her idea, stumbling over her words as she attempted to explain every detail. “I can see it now. Gastronomica: the only restaurant review worth having.” She’d squeezed his shoulder at that and he’d known straight away what she was going to ask him. “All you have to do is taste the food and give your opinion. I’ll design the website, arrange the restaurant visits, deal with any publicity. It’ll be perfect.”

“Why me?” he'd asked when he’d eventually gathered enough strength to break the silence.

“Why not?’ she’d laughed, throwing herself down next to him and taking his hand, her fingers stroking light, gentle circles across the back of his knuckles. “You like cooking, don’t you?”

That much was true at least: he _did_ like cooking, and he was good at it too. Great, in fact. Or at least, he had been until he’d lost his vision. People said he was still good now, that his food was a pleasure to eat. But good wasn’t enough. Good might as well have been mediocre, and that word had never sat well with Ignis. If he couldn’t be great, he didn’t want to cook at all, and if he couldn’t cook he wanted no part in the restaurant business. It would be too painful, a constant reminder of everything he’d lost.

But he’d been too slow in his response and before he could shake his head in refusal, she’d kissed him softly on the cheek, her arms wrapped around his neck in a silent thank you. 

“Besides,” she’d said as she left. “It’ll be good for you, help you find your passion again. And who knows, maybe eventually you’ll want to start cooking again yourself?”

That had been four years ago and the website had gone from strength to strength, with Ignis being the food critic all chefs feared whilst at the same time dreaming of the day he would taste their food. His reviews were famous all over Lucis and had been known to make or break a restaurant- not that he ever wanted to be the cause of any chef’s demise. He’d always been a brutally honest person and now was no exception. Perhaps the years had hardened him too, and more and more these days he found himself managing to switch off from the emotional side of it, delivering his opinion without even trying to soften the blow. He never meant to be unkind but he knew his reviews could sometimes come across as harsh and unfeeling, and for that reason he tried to forget about them as soon as possible after they’d been added to the website. Readers, however, apparently appreciated his straightforward, clear opinions and seemed to hang onto his every word, with the website being the only place to visit if someone wanted to find out exactly what a restaurant was like.

Which is why the young chef in front of him had clearly tried everything to make this the best meal he’d ever cooked in his life, and that- at the very least- deserved Ignis’ full attention. He cleared his throat as he gazed up towards where he thought the man must be standing, raising a hand to push his glasses back up his nose as he tried to cement himself back in the present. It was uncomfortably hot in the restaurant, and he’d already had to remove his jacket and roll up the sleeves of his shirt. He could feel his hair beginning to dampen with sweat and was glad he’d forgone his usual style in favour of a more relaxed look, bangs sweeping freely across his forehead and down over his cheek. He considered saying something- after all, a sweltering restaurant probably wasn’t the best way of drawing in customers- but primarily he was there to review the food. And besides, it’d been so warm of late he hadn’t been surprised to be hit by a wall of heat the second he walked through the door. Keeping anywhere cool in this weather was a challenge, never mind a place with an open kitchen where food was constantly being fried and baked and grilled. 

He took a final mouthful of food, swilling it around his mouth before swallowing it and setting down his knife and fork. “Disappointingly, it is perhaps a little under seasoned, and the fish is a tad overcooked.” He heard the chef take in a long, shuddering breath, and imagined his cheeks were probably flushed red with shame at the thought of such a well-renowned critic calling his best dish disappointing. “Still… I’ve tasted worse. Learn how to cook the fish perfectly and you’ve got yourself something rather delicious, wouldn’t you agree Aranea?” 

“Huh? Yeah… this is yummy!” Aranea’s words sounded muffled and Ignis could only presume that she still had a mouthful of food. He enjoyed Aranea’s company and always tried to take her with him on his visits whenever he could, especially when they required some amount of travel. He’d never really enjoyed taking the train, always finding long journeys in such close proximity to strangers rather uncomfortable. And without his vision it was even worse. He was used to people staring because of his scars, and although it still bothered him he’d learnt to ignore it to a certain extent. But now people stared for a different reason. He’d become something of a celebrity- someone instantly recognisable throughout Lucis, and that drew more attention than ever. So more often than not Aranea drove and, surprisingly, had turned out to be quite a competent driver. No matter how many times he reminded her, though, she always seemed to forget they were only there to taste the food, to savour the flavours- not to eat enough food to satisfy them for a week!

Ignis was very aware of the man’s breathing, trembling, uneven breaths as he waiting for the final verdict. Today, however, he was in no rush to deliver it, first dabbing at the corners of his mouth with his serviette before standing up and removing his jacket from the back of his chair. “I’d give this 3 stars- not spectacular but worth a visit.” 

“Thank you for the feedback, Mr Scientia.” The man shook his hand limply, the sensation of his sweaty palms against Ignis’ cool, dry skin uncomfortable. “We will continue to improve. And I assure you- the fish was a one-off error. I must have been nervous. After all, it’s not every day we get visited by such a VIP. My hands were shaking so much in the kitchen, I’m surprised I managed to pull this off at all. If you’d have seen me this morning, you’d…”

Ignis heard Aranea snigger at the man’s reaction and gave her a stern glance before cutting him off with a curt wave of the hand. He was rambling, as so many people seemed to do when it came time for him to leave, and Ignis had always hated rambling. He was here to taste the food and to deliver his opinion- nothing more and nothing less.

“The review will be up on the website within 24 hours, Mr Simmons.” Ignis pulled his hand out of the man’s grasp, wiping it on his pants to get rid of any remaining beads of sweat. He reached out for his cane, feeling instantly more relaxed when he felt the cool, smooth brass of the handle against his skin. “I thank you for your time. Perhaps we will meet again one day.” He allowed a brief smile to grace his lips before turning and making his way towards the exit. “Though I can assure you,” he continued, turning back over his shoulder. “If I am given overcooked fish for a second time, you will not be receiving a 3 star review.”

“Of course, Mr Scientia. I will make sure…”

The rest of the words were lost as the door swung shut. 

“Well, I think that went well,” Ignis chuckled, offering his arm to Aranea who threaded her hand though and placed it on his forearm, soft, slender fingers giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Shame about that fish though.”

“That poor man,” Aranea laughed back, guiding Ignis across the road and towards the car. “He looked terrified! I’m not sure you fully realise the effect you have on people.”

“Mmm,” he replied, closing his eyes behind his glasses and focusing in on the sound of his cane as it tapped rhythmically against the hard, concrete floor. He did have quite an effect on people these days…without really even meaning to. A few years ago it would have bothered him to know that he put the fear of the gods into so many people but these days it didn’t seem important. He was doing a job- nothing more and nothing less. He’d never done anything other than being honest. And if people were scared of the truth? Well, there was nothing he could do about that.

“Ignis? What’s going on in that head of yours?” He felt a jolt as Aranea stopped walking and pulled him back, running her hands down his arms as she turned him to face her. “I worry about you sometimes, you know?”

“I promise you there’s nothing to worry about.” Ignis shook his head, leaning forwards to press a soft but friendly kiss against Aranea’s cheek, her skin cool and soft against his lips. The sensation sparked a memory in him- someone else who’s skin was also cool and soft when he kissed it. He shook his head again as though trying to rid himself of the memory. It was too painful to remember and, after years of dreaming of what might have been, he’d come to the conclusion it was better for the past to stay in the past. Any chance he’d ever had of fixing things was long gone, after all. Better now to try and forget about it entirely, to move on with his life. He felt Aranea take both hands and squeeze them gently and attempted to smile. “Let’s get going shall we? Are we heading back to Insomnia tonight?”

“‘Fraid not,” Aranea groaned, dropping his hands and linking his arm again as they continued forward. “Iris called earlier- apparently there’s a chef in Galdin who’s desperate for you to taste his cooking. She said his restaurant called asking if you could visit as soon as you’re available. They practically begged, actually.” 

“Did they now?” Ignis raised one eyebrow in amusement.

“That’s what Iris said!” Aranea laughed. “And you know what she’s like- that girl needs to learn to say no! Careful.” She helped him step down the curb and cross the road towards the car. “Just a few more metres.”

“I presume we’re heading there tonight then…” Ignis moved gingerly, placing his feet carefully and deliberately as he remembered how he’d nearly tripped on the uneven cobbles when they’d arrived earlier that day. Things had improved in Lestallum since the dawn but there was still a great deal of repair work to do and much of the ground remained broken and in need of renovation. Every step felt like such an effort and several times he felt his feet almost slip out from underneath him. If it hadn’t been for Aranea gripping tightly onto his arm, he felt sure he would have fallen at least once. 

“I’ve already booked us in to a hotel.” They stopped abruptly and Aranea removed his arm, taking his hand and placing it on the cold metal of the door handle. “If we set off now, we should be there before midnight. That sound okay to you?” He heard the familiar click of the door as it opened and she took his stick, laying it gently across the back seat and closing the door behind her. Her footsteps told him she was moving round to the other side of the car and he took that as his cue to get in. “I know it’ll be difficult to…”

He opened the door and ducked inside quickly, more in an effort to hide his face than in desperation to get to Galdin quickly. Galdin held so many memories and he hadn’t thought he’d ever return alone. Not that he was alone- he had Aranea after all. But when he thought about Galdin he couldn’t help but think of someone else. Someone he’d loved once. Someone who he still thought about a great deal. He blinked, swallowing the lump he felt forming in his throat and sniffing as he slung his seatbelt around his waist. Aranea was beside him now, her hand on his knee as she waited for him to respond. “I can’t hide from the past forever. Let’s get going.”

“As you wish.” He heard the roar of the engine as the car fired into life and felt movement as the car pulled out of the parking lot. “Next stop: Galdin Quay.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Come and chat on tumblr](https://butterfly-girl86.tumblr.com/) I'm nice, I promise c:


End file.
